by Emily Billings

With the future owner of the Detroit Pistons yet to be determined, the home of the Detroit Red Wings also seems to be a mystery. Last month, all signs were pointing to Mike Ilitch to be the next owner of the Pistons. Mr. Ilitch, a pizza baron and current owner of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers, had entered into a 30-day period of closed negotiations with Karen Davidson, the widow of former owner Bill Davidson, to purchase the team. With that period now expired, other bidders have re-entered the fray.

Ilitch has said his main motivation for the potential purchase is to keep the Detroit Pistons in the state of Michigan. An ulterior motive may be to help his hockey team get a new stadium. But, with reports of potential buyers from Texas and California, he seems to be trying to position himself as a martyr. Steve Ballmer, a Detroit native just cashed out 1.3 B in stock options and is rumored to be cashing out another $700 M before the end of the year. He is said to be interested in moving the team out of Michigan to Seattle. Mr. Ilitch has a venerable monopoly on Detroit sports, entertainment and real estate. If he were to succeed in the purchase, not only would he own 3 of the 4 Detroit Major League Sports teams, but he would also be controlling virtually all of the major entertainment venues in Southeastern Michigan. The sale of the Pistons also includes Palace Entertainment which includes 2 other venues in addition to the Palace of Auburn Hills, which is where the Pistons play. There is speculation that Ilitches’ main interest in the Pistons is not for the team, but for the additional entertainment holdings and he could opt to sell the Pistons off within the next 5-10 years while retaining the entertainment venues.

The main outrage, or interest, however you choose to look at it, is the possibility that the Red Wings could be moved out of Joe Louis Arena, possibly even Detroit. Their current home, the storied Joe Louis Arena is said to be in need of major repairs and renovations that are estimated to cost in the $150 million range, this figure does not seem to be based on any facts, just speculation. The Ilitches have renewed their lease, but only for one year. Additionally, Mr. Ilitch has gone on record as saying his goal is to build a new stadium in Downtown Detroit that would house the Pistons and the Red Wings. No one would argue that The Joe needs some modern upgrades and repairs, but it would be helpful if there was a publicly available inspection or structural report conducted by an independent source that outlines exactly what needs to be repaired and what the projected cost would be. Not a report from a “firm” set up by Olympia Entertainment with Tom Wilson at its helm, but an unbiased and independent source.

Mr. Wilson, an Olympia Entertainment executive, is expected to be named President and CEO of an unnamed enterprise expected to be charged with the task of making the case for a new stadium. Interestingly, in his previous position, he was the President of Palace Sports and Entertainment (PS&E). He has even managed to bring nine former PS&E employees over to Ilitch Holdings. In a city with such a monumental deficit that they can’t afford to maintain street lights or schedule regular bulk trash pick-ups, how could anyone even suggest public funding for a new stadium? To make things even more interesting is the fact that the current mayor, Dave Bing, is a former Pistons player. Could the honorable mayor orchestrate some political maneuverings to ensure public funding to bring his former team back to his cash strapped city? Would the Red Wings be “temporarily” located to the Palace while a new stadium is constructed? Would they ever return to Detroit? If so, why would Mike Ilitch chose to move his hockey team out of Hockeytown, an area filled with Ilitich Holding’s business interests? Is it true that there have been some overvalued land sales in a desolate area just north of the Ilitch empire known as Foxtown?

The fans, who may end up footing the bill, or losing one or two of their beloved teams and another treasured and historic sports shrine, are being kept in the dark to the true motives. Such is the world of professional sports. Funded and supported by the fans, but never operated with the best interests of the fans or their respective cities at heart.

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Emily Billings is a freelance writer who grew up a card carrying member of the Detroit Tigers fan club. In addition to the Tigers, she is also a Red Wings fan and often finds herself rooting for the Kansas Jayhawks. Emily can be reached at AgentEmilyB@Gmail.com.

To all those sports fans who’ve supported the cause this past year and one month, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving weekend filled with turkey, football, and the feeling that you’ve done your part to empower fans across the country.

After a hectic weekend taking the fight to Comcast in Oregon, the month’s work to retire the BCS, and SFC’s efforts to expose improprieties in stadium funding, there’s still a lot of work to be done. So once we get over our tryptophan hangover, we’ll put our cleats back on and get back out there on the field to fight for sports fans’ rights.

For now, it’s the right thing to do to say thanks. Thank you for coming out to our rallies to show your support. Thank you for writing to tell us your stories of being mistreated by team and league ownership so we can respond and pursue change. Thank you for just signing up and staying in tune with our work on Capitol Hill and around the country to reclaim sports for the fans, the fuel that makes the engine go.

The second you think you don’t matter, that your opinion doesn’t count, you lose any power you ever had. We will no longer be the silent majority. We, as sports fans organized, the Sports Fans Coalition deserve better. And we’ll fight for our rights to party.

As good as leftovers taste on Black Friday, they just won’t do for sports fans.

Happy Thanksgiving from SFC!

NBA Players Association Executive Director Billy Hunter says he is “99 percent sure” there will be a lockout next summer. Awesome. According to SI.com, the “league is calling for a reduction in player salary costs of $700 to $800 million and is seeking a hard salary cap to replace the system which now allows for certain exceptions.”

Two possible lockouts next summer. Fans need to be united to “Knock Out the Lockout.” (Details soon…)

Read the article here.

Check out this interview with SFC Executive Director Brian Frederick, who is out there rallying frustrated Blazer fans to fix the Comcast situation.

http://www.kgw.com/thesquare/Blazers-Fans-Protest-Comcast-109075499.html

by Joel Barker

Comcast’s “hostage taking” of the Blazers broadcasts is bad for the Blazers, for Oregon, for the NBA, and for Comcast, itself. Comcast thinks that they can exploit the emotional ties between Oregonians and our team for the sake of some tawdry profits, but I know that we can do better.

I am one of the many rabid fans that populate this city. We have only one major league team and only one national championship in the entire state. We put everything we have into the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers are a link between Portlanders, between Oregonians.

That is just as major league sports should be, that is what we fans pay for. In Oregon, perhaps more than anywhere outside of Green Bay, Wisconsin, professional sports work. When we come in to work in the morning, in the midst of our days, we talk about the Blazers. Chit chat about the Blazers is what brings us together.

We are famous for our fandom, and for our sellout crowds. A year ago, ESPN columnist Bill Simmons said in an interview with Ian Ruder published in the Oregonian:

The Blazer fans are crazy. They’re like the crazy dude at the bar who’s just so irrational you don’t want to get into a full argument with them because you might get a beer bottle smashed into your head. It’s because they’re on the team, so it’s like they’re arguing about their kids almost.

If you have ever been in the Rose Garden when the Lakers come to town, you know what he’s talking about. When we walk through the Rose Garden doors, we go from friendly latte-sipping hipsters to blood thirsty Cro-Magnons defending our turf.

We are blessed with an organization that is committed to our community and many of our team alumni choose to make a home in Portland after they retire. After Maurice Lucas passed away a couple of weeks ago, several friends of mine relayed their personal stories of Lucas around town. His presence here after his career was over means just as much as the championship that he helped to win.

Watching the games is a communion for us fans. We do it as families, with friends. A win means a lot, but so does Coach Mo Cheeks saving the young national anthem singer.

I myself was honored to once have dinner with Terry Porter, who offered me relationship advice. Terry, I am sorry. I still have not married her.

Comcast has put a ransom on our extended family. They promised to negotiate with other providers, to compete in a fair marketplace. Instead they are making every effort to function as a monopoly.

In addition, how does the NBA feel about Comcast’s anti-competitive activities? The league is trying to build a fan base while Comcast is limiting their potential audience.

I am certainly appreciative of the effort that Comcast goes to in providing the games and I believe that they should be fairly compensated. They have an opportunity to be a part of our family and benefit from that goodwill. It surprises me that they should choose to instead inspire their customers – and potential customers to begrudge their very services. Is that they way that they want to do business?

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Joel Barker is a freelance writer and lifelong Oregon resident. You can email him at Joel@wordlions.com.